Page "Charlton, Massachusetts" Paragraph 11

The Charlton Free Public Library was established in 1882.

In fiscal year 2008, the town of Charlton spent 1. 73 % ($ 306, 971 ) of its budget on its public library — some $ 24 per person.

The library gained national recognition in 1906 after it banned Mark Twain's short story " Eve's Diary " for its illustrations of Eve in " summer costume.

" Twain testified before Congress after the incident saying, " The whole episode has rather amused me.

I have no feeling of vindictiveness over the stand of the librarians there — I am only amused.

You see they did not object to my book ; they objected to Lester Ralph's pictures.

I wrote the book ; I did not make the pictures.

I admire the pictures, and I heartily approve them, but I did not make them.

It seems curious to me — some of the incidents in this case.

It appears that the pictures in Eve's Diary were first discovered by a lady librarian.

When she made the dreadful find, being very careful, she jumped at no hasty conclusions — not she — she examined the horrid things in detail.

It took her some time to examine them all, but she did her hateful duty!

I don't blame her for this careful examination ; the time she spent was, I am sure, enjoyable, for I found considerable fascination in them myself.

Then she took the book to another librarian, a male this time, and he, also, took a long time to examine the unclothed ladies.

He must have found something of the same sort of fascination in them that I found.